Contents

Synopsis

ARROW TEAMS UP WITH LAUREL TO FIND THE MAN IN THE MASK — Oliver is conflicted after Laurel reaches out to the Arrow asking him to investigate Sebastian Blood. Oliver is unsure whether to believe her accusations against the man he has publicly supported for mayor, but decides to trust Laurel. However, when the pair gets too close to the truth, Sebastian exposes Laurel's drug addiction and has her arrested. Meanwhile, Roy reveals his new super-strength to Sin, who wants to test out his abilities. Unfortunately, Roy isn't able to contain his rage once unleashed and almost kills a man. Back on the island, Oliver is surprised when Sara reveals a secret about Laurel.

Plot

The episode starts with The Arrow interrogating a man, asking him if he knows who the man in the skull mask is, but after Felicity conducts a polygraph test, The Arrow learns that the man knows nothing about Brother Blood. Sebastian visits his mother at the mental institution and have a mother/son conversation, but learns that Laurel came to visit her. Sebastian tells his mother that he forgives her and leaves the room. Just as Maya lays her head down, Sebastian reappears, but this time he has the skull mask on and kills her. We see Laurel at her desk, about to swallow some pills, when she is interrupted by someone, telling her that there is a call waiting for her from the mental institute. After Laurel learns of Maya's death, she becomes more sure that Sebastian Blood is not at all what he seems, and suspects he might have killed her. Adam dismisses her pleas to investigate Sebastian as there is no evidence to investigate the Alderman. Laurel has no other option but to turn to her father to call The Arrow for help. The Arrow and Laurel share a tense meeting on a rooftop to discuss Laurel's theories with The Arrow. He's at first reluctant to believe her, as he has publicly supported the man she is accusing of heinous crimes.

At Queen Consolidated Oliver, Felicity and Diggle discuss Laurel's claim that Sebastian is really not what he seems. They wonder if she isn't just setting another trap for him. Felicity discovers that there is a file on Sebastian's past at the City Archives, but you need a key card to get access to it, a key card that an Assistant District Attorney might have. Laurel runs into the Arrow at her apartment, he asks her to come with him to the City Archives. They break into the Archives, but Laurel is shocked to see that Sebastian's file has been cleaned, courtesy of Slade. Laurel returns to her apartment to find Officer Daily waiting for her. He arrests her after he finds the pills she's been using.

At the Police Station, Laurel tries to explain to Quentin that it's not as bad as it looks, but in line of recent events, he does not believe her, neither does he believe her when she tells him that Sebastian is a bad person. Oliver comes to her rescue and bails her out. They return to her apartment to find the man in the skull mask. Before Oliver can fight back, he gets knocked out. Laurel is taken to a warehouse where the man in the skull masks taunts her. Meanwhile, Oliver wakes up and races to save Laurel. At the warehouse, the Arrow engages the man in the skull mask. The Skull gets the upper hand and prepares to finish Oliver off when Laurel grabs a gun that the man in the skull mask drops and kills the Skull. They unmask the Skull to discover that it's Officer Daily.

Oliver tells Felicity and Diggle that he will not be as willing to believe Laurel in the future, (because in his eyes, she was wrong about the man he supports, and the Arrow could have paid him and unpleasant visit). Laurel returns to the DA's office to be told by Adam that she is fired.

On the island, Oliver and Sara return to the plane and have a heart to heart conversation. He apologizes for bringing her on the Queen's Gambit, but she tells him that it is not entirely his fault. A few years back, Sara had an "embarrassing crush" on him and Laurel knew it. She and Oliver once attended one of Tommy's wild parties and when she went to spend alone time with Oliver, Laurel dropped the dime on her and Officer Quentin came to fetch her and grounded her for a month. A month later, she learned that Oliver and Laurel were a couple. Going on the Queen's Gambit was her way of getting revenge for what Laurel did to her. Later, while Oliver was sleeping, she took the radio from him and called Ivo. He pleads with her to come back to the ship with the Mirakuru, and he needs her, not knowing to believe him, she hungs up on him. The second time while Oliver was sleeping, she calls to Ivo and tells him that when he rescued her, she thought he was her savior. She also says that he made her feel if she was part of something big, but tells him that he is a bad person for experimenting on those people and torturing them. Ivo loses his temper and tells her that he will hunt her and Oliver down, he will torture and experiment on them, once again she hangs up on him. She sees Oliver standing behind her, and tells him they will go and find Slade.

Roy has become very distant lately because of his new-found power, but he has to tell someone, so he tells and shows Sin. She is shocked at first, but wants to watch his power in action. Sin dresses as a prostitute and awaits some guy who's been abusing prostitutes in the city lately. Sure enough the man picks her up and take her to a car lot. Just as he is about too hurt Sin, Roy rips the door off and starts beating him. Sin realizes that if she can't stop him, he will kill the man. She intervenes but Roy tosses her aside, but comes to his senses after seeing what he has done.
Oliver learns of what Roy has done and decides to confront him. In the usual meeting place, Roy is distraught because of what he has done. The Arrow tells him that the Mirakuru is messing with his head and offers to train him to control it, Roy accepts.

Sebastian returns to Slade's office to gloat that Laurel is taken care of. Slade is nowhere to be found, only his voice can be heard, telling that he has become tired of his negligence. He appears and takes out Sebastian's security all by himself; Slade puts a sword to Sebastian's throat, takes his own mask off and tells Sebastian that if he should fail him again, he will kill him.

Oliver goes to talk to Roy as the Vigilante, telling him that the serum twists the mind and he could be dangerous. Roy suggests for the Vigilante to kill him, but Oliver instead says that he could teach Roy how to control himself.

Production

Preparation ran from October 24 until November 1, 2013. Shooting began on November 4 and run until November 14, 2013.[1]

Trivia

This episode marks the first time viewers see Slade Wilson in his iconic Deathstroke costume. It is an upgraded version of the tactical gear and mask he wore on the island.